Kyoto ryokan run from family inns at about $110 for two to 200-year-old houses above $1,300, and several have no dinner plan or hot spring.
We haven't stayed at these eight. We watched guests' own videos, read their worst reviews and priced each one on Trip.com, so you can see the catch before you book.
Compare 8 ryokan and prices
The inner garden of a ryokan in Kyoto at night. Photo: Maarten Heerlien, CC BY 2.0, cropped.
Lowest price for two adults, taxes included, for one night on Tuesday, January 19, 2027, checked November 10, 2026. Scores are Trip.com guest ratings, with the number of reviews.
| Ryokan | Area | From | With dinner | Trip.com score | Private bath | The catch | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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Ryokan Sawaya Honten | Sakyo, near Heian Shrine | $109 | Not on Trip.com | 9.5 (108) | Small shared baths, plus a shower room | Stairs throughout and no lift. | See plans |
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Kyomachiya Ryokan Sakura Urushitei | Downtown, near Shijo | $109 | Not on Trip.com | 9.1 (133) | Private tub by time slot | Rooms can be small, and bath slots can be gone by evening. | See plans |
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Ryokan Ryokufuso | Near Kyoto Station | $174 | $373 | 9.6 (65) | Quiet shared baths, plus a bath in your room | Far from the main sights, so expect buses. | See plans |
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Matsubaya Ryokan | Near Kyoto Station | $178 | Not on Trip.com | 9.0 (66) | Bath or shower in your room, depending on the plan | Paper doors carry sound. Nobody is on duty after 11 PM. | See plans |
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Japanese Ryokan Seryo | Ohara, north of the city | —$421* | $421* | 9.7 (44) | Hot-spring baths, shared and private | About 14 km from central Kyoto. Check-in closes at 5 PM. | See plans |
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Hanaikada | Arashiyama | —$439* | $439* | 9.1 (122) | Hot-spring baths, plus a private one for a fee | No children. Some guests call the building dated. | See plans |
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Yuzuya Ryokan | Gion | $470 | $759 | 9.5 (54) | Yuzu-scented shared bath | Ages 13 and up only. One guest found the room too small. | See plans |
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Hiiragiya Ryokan | Downtown, near Oike Street | $1,226* | $1,365* | 9.5 (66) | Two private wooden baths, plus a bath in your room | Some low reviews call the rooms small and old for the price. | See plans |
*Seryo, Hanaikada and Hiiragiya had no rooms on January 19, so their prices are for Monday, January 18. January is a quiet month. Six of these eight had no rooms at all on December 1, in the autumn peak, so book early for autumn and cherry blossom season and expect to pay more. Prices may differ if Trip.com shows you member rates. Nishiyama Ryokan, a well-known central inn, wasn't taking January bookings on Trip.com when we checked, so it isn't in this table.
Bad reviews are a small share where we could count them: 5 of 787 at Ryokufuso, 2 of 287 at Sawaya Honten and 1 of 174 at Seryo. They're still useful, because they show what goes wrong when something does.
Few inns in central Kyoto sit on a natural hot spring, so "private onsen" on a listing can mean a private tub of ordinary heated water. Of these eight, guests describe natural hot-spring water only at Hanaikada and Seryo.
Tattoos: shared baths in Japan often restrict them. One guest with tattoos had no problem using Urushitei's private tub. We couldn't confirm the current rule at each ryokan, so ask before you book.
Guests' own footage, from the lowest price to the highest. Tap a video to play it.
Video by ABritTravels on YouTube.
A small family-run inn that one couple said felt like walking into someone's home. The desk is staffed from 6 AM to 11 PM, there's hot water for tea on every floor, and a wash costs ¥300 in the coin laundry.
Everything is on or near the floor, and there are stairs throughout, so it's hard going with limited mobility. One low review calls it noisy for the price.
Video by Margaret R on YouTube. The guest says this isn't sponsored.
A budget choice that one solo guest came back to on a second trip, paying a little over $100 a night. They arrived around 5 PM and every bath slot was taken, so reserve early. Breakfast costs extra, and they count it among the best food of the trip.
Low reviews mention small rooms, dim decor and stairs. Some rooms have a shower only.
Video by SK Travel Guide on YouTube.
A couple stayed three nights in cherry blossom season and had the shared baths almost to themselves. Their room had an enclosed balcony with real chairs, a welcome break from sitting on the floor. Meals are booked separately.
Their one real complaint was the location: quiet, but a long bus ride from the sights. A low review warns of a 15-minute walk from the station with luggage, and another calls it a city hotel marketed as a ryokan.
Video by Best Hotel Review Channel on YouTube.
The most practical base here for trains. The guest we watched paid $212 with breakfast for a 12 m² room, about 10 minutes on foot from Kyoto Station, which they warn is a chore with luggage.
They found the room dim and the doors far from soundproof, and said one or two nights would be enough. Breakfast is by time slot.
Video by Paers on YouTube.
A nine-room countryside inn next to Sanzen-in Temple, for people who want quiet more than sightseeing. One vlogger's title puts their stay at $1,200 a night, far above the January price here, so dates matter. Kaiseki dinner and breakfast are what guests praise most, along with the staff.
The shared baths fit only about four people. There's a free shuttle from the bus station, and one guest took a taxi with luggage. In the single bad review, a guest left early because of a strong musty smell in the room.
Video by Wandering the World on YouTube.
Thirteen rooms beside Togetsukyo Bridge, a short walk from the bamboo grove. One couple paid about $400 with tax in cherry blossom season, and got a 12-course dinner in their room that took an hour and a half. Their room faced the sunrise over the river.
Guests call the building a bit dated, and one mentions noisy ventilation and a small bath. The free station pick-up helps with luggage.
Video by LIVE JAPAN on YouTube. LIVE JAPAN earns from booking links, so expect a positive view.
Eight rooms in a century-old townhouse beside Yasaka Shrine, with whole yuzu floating in the bath in winter. The video says it's been in the Michelin Guide for 14 years. A Trip.com guest says to take the dinner plan if you can.
Guests can pick fish or chicken for breakfast and one of three time slots. One low review says the room is too small and the breakfast looks better than it tastes.
Video by YouBoston Travel on YouTube.
Founded in 1818 and long used by writers and visiting celebrities. The guests we watched took the corner room in the new wing, with a free minibar. The main building has a lift. Dinner and breakfast come to your room.
At this price, expectations run high. One returning guest found the room smaller than on a visit nine years earlier, and another wrote that the room was old and cramped and not worth the money.
They range widely. The eight here run from $109 to $1,365 for two in January, and more in peak season.
Many rooms do, but not all. Check the room type, because the same inn can sell rooms with a bath, with a shower only, or with shared facilities.
It's easier with luggage, but you'll ride more buses. If you're in Kyoto for the temples and old streets, Gion or downtown saves time.
A ryokan is a traditional inn. An onsen is a natural hot-spring bath. Some ryokan have one, and many in central Kyoto don't.
Choose Kyoto for the setting and the city around you. If a hot spring is the point of the stay, Hakone ryokan are built around them.
Compare 8 ryokan and pricesGuest videos credited above. Guest reviews from Trip.com and from booking guests over the last 24 months. Prices, check-in times and child policies are from Trip.com. Prices and rules change, so confirm with the ryokan before you book. Last checked November 10, 2026.